Tile-ditcher



( NoM0de1.)

K. JAMES.

TILE DITQHER. No. 294,049.. Patented PebLZG, 1884.

' v IfNVENTOR:

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ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Phmum m hu. Wnhinglon. no.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KERWIN JAMES, OF ADAIR, IOWA.

TILE-DITCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,049, dated February26, 1884.

Application filed Apiil 30, 1883.

. drawings, forming a part of this specification,

the rear part of the same.

in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the figures.

Figure l is a plan view of my improve ments. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of

Fig. 4. is a sectional rear elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a sectionalplan view of a part of the same, taken through theline a: 00, Fig. 3.Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the shear. 1

The object of this invention is to facilitate the making oftile-ditches.

The invention consists in a machine for making tile-ditches, constructedwith two beams connected adjustably at their rear ends by cross-bars,and provided with cutters attached at their lower ends to a shear and toa base bar, with which and the beams are connected side plates havingbetween them curved plates to guide the tiles into place. With thecrossbars are connected a slotted standard, a foot, hinged draw-rods,and a rope, pulley, and Windlass for keeping the machine erect. With theforward parts of the beams are connected a slotted standard, a hingedfoot, hinged drawrods, and a rope, pulleys, and capstan for regulatingthe depth at which the machine works in the ground. With the shear, thebase-bar, and the side plates are connected adjustable flanged plates toassist in opening a channel to receive the tiles. The upper ends of thecurved guide-plates are connected with the beams by slottedangle-plates, so that the said upper ends can be adjusted midway between the beams, and will be securely held in place, all constructed andoperating as will be hereinafter fully described.

A are two beams, the forward ends of which are bolted together.

To the upper sides of the beams A, at their rear ends, and at a littledistance from their rear ends, are bolted two cross-bars, B, which areslotted, as shown in Fig. 1, to receive the (N0 model.)

fasteningbolts 0, so that the rear ends of the said beams A can beadjusted at a greater or less distance apart, according as larger orsmaller tiles are to be laid.

In the forward cross-bar, B, between the bolts G, is formed a slot, toreceive the upper end of the rod or long bolt D, so that thesaid rod canbe readily adjusted midway between the beams A at whatever distanceapart the said beams may be placed. The lower end of the rod D issecured to the forward part of the basebar or shoe E.

To the inner sides of the beams A, at their rear ends, and a little inthe rear of the forward cross-bar, B, are secured the upper ends ofhangers F, to the outer sides of which are secured, by rivets or othersuitable means, the side plates, G. The side plates, G, are made ofsheet-iron or other suitable material, and are secured at their loweredges to the base-bar Eby angle-irons H, the lower arms of which areslotted to receive the fastening-bolts, so that the lower parts of thesaid side plates can be adjusted to correspond with the adjustment ofthe rear parts of the beams A. The forward end, I, of one of the sideplates, G, is bent into angular form to pass around the forward end oftheother side plate and overlap its outer side, so as to cover andprotect the said end.

To the forwardly-projecting end of the basebar E is bolted the shear J,the shank of which is forked to receive the forward ends of the sideplates, G, to strengthen the said shear in position.

To the middle part of the shear J is bolted or otherwise secured thelower end of the central cutter, K, which is inclined upward andforward, and has its upper end bent outward and secured to the lowerside of one of the beams A by a bolt. The laterally-projecting upper endof the cutter K is slotted to receive the fastening bolt, so that thesaid cutter can always be adjusted midway between the beams A.

L are the side cutters, the lower ends of which are bolted to theforward end of the base-bar E, the fastening-bolt also passing throughdownwardly-projecting flanges M, formed upon the side edges of the shankof the shear J. The inner sides of the lower ends of the side cutters,L, rest against the flanges M, which maybe in contact with or at. alittle distance from the sides of the base-bar E, so that wider ornarrower shears J can be used, as may be required. The upper ends of theside cutters, L, are bolted to the outer sides of the beams A, or toblocks N, attached to the said beams.

O are angle-plates, the lower parts of which fit against the lower partsof the side plates, G, and are secured to the said side plates, G, andto the angle-irons H, that connect the said side plates with thebase-bar E by bolts P, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The plates 0 areslotted to receive the bolts 1?, so that the said plates 0 can beadjusted to give a greater or less inclination to the upper parts orflanges of the said angle-plates, aslarger or smaller tiles are to beused. The angle-plates O are arranged with their upper parts or flangesin line with the shear, and are designed to raise or pack the soil, soas to form a space to receive the tiles.

Q R are two curved plates placed between the frames A and side plates,G, and which extend from the upper sides of the said beams A to thelower rear corner of the said plates G, to form a channel to conduct thetiles into the lower part of the opening in the soil, formed by themachine. The lower end of the lower plate, Q, is secured to the rear endof the base-bar E by a rivet or other suitable means. The upper ends ofthe guide-plates Q R are bolted to the upper arms of the angleirons S,which extend across the space between the beams A, and are slottedhorizontally to receive the fastening-bolts, so that the upper ends ofthe curved guide-plates Q R can be adjusted and held midway between thebeams A, at whatever distance apart the said beams may be placed. Thelower arms of the angleirons S rest upon the upper sides of the beams A,and are slotted longitudinally to receive the fastening-bolts, so thatthe upper ends of the guide-plates Q R can'be adjusted wider apart orcloser together, as larger or smaller tiles are to beused. Theguide-plates Q R are further secured in place by the angle-irons T,attached to them and to the side plates, G, so that the middle and lowerparts of the said guide-plates can be adjusted to correspond with theadjustment of their upper ends. Vith this construction, the angle-ironsS serve as a guidespout when introducing the tiles into the spacebetween the guide-plates Q R.

The cross-bars 13 project at one side of the machine, and to them isattached a platform, U, to receive and carry the tiles, so that they canbe readily fed into the machine succes-' sively and in contact with eachother, and will be laid in the ground in a continuous line.

To the outer ends of the cross-bars B are attached one or more bars, V,which are placed parallel with the line of draft, and around which ispassed a slotted standard or bow, W. The lower end of the standard W isattached to a foot, X, to the forward corners of which are hinged thelower ends of two rods, Y. The

forward ends of the rods Y are hinged to the forward projecting end ofone of the bars V, so that the foot X will be drawn from the said barV,and can be adjusted at any desired distance below the said bar V. Thelower side of the forward end of the foot X is beveled, so that the saidfoot will pass over the surface of the ground easily. In the upper partof the slot in the standard W is journaled a pulley, Z, over whichpasses a cord, at. One end of the cord a is attached to one of thecross-bars B, and its other end is attached to a windlass,

1), attached to the bar V, at the other side of the standard W from thepoint of attachment of the cord a. WVith this construction the weight ofthe bars B V and the platform U will be supported by the cord at andstandard W, so as to hold the machine in vertical posi tion at whateverdepth it may be working in the ground.

The windlass b is provided with a ratchet wheel, 0, and pawl d, to holdit and the cord a securely in position when adjusted.

Around the forward part of the beams A is passed a slotted standard orbow, e, the lower end of which is hinged to a foot, f. To the forwardcorners of the foot f are hinged the lower ends of two draw-rods, g, theforward ends of which are hinged to the outer sides of the forward endsof the beams A. In the upper part of the slot in the standard 6 isjournaled a pulley, 71., over which passes a cord, 2', one end of whichis attached to one of the beams A. The cord 1' passes around aguidepulley, j, journaled to a support attached to the beam A at theother side of the standard 6 from the point of attachment of the saidcord 6. The other end of the cord 2' is attached to a vertical shaft orcapstan,'k,whichis jour- Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a machinefor making tile-ditches, the combination,with the beams A, adjustably secured together at their rear ends, of the side plates, G, and thebase-plate E, the said side and base plates being adj ustably connectedtogether, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In a machine for making tileditches, the co1nbination,with the beamsA and the slotted bars 13, connecting the rear ends of the beamstogether, of the side plates, G, the base-plate E, and the rod D, thesaid side and base plates being adjustably connected together,substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In a machine for making tile-ditches, the combination,with the shearJ, the base-bar E, the angle-irons H, and the side plates, G, of theadjustable flanged plates 0, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, to assist in opening a channel to receive the tiles, as setforth.

4. In a machine for making tile-ditches, the combination,with theadjustable beams A, the side plates, G, and the baseplate adjnsta-blyconnected to the side plates, of the shear J, provided with flanges M,and the central and side cutter, K L, secured to the shear and beams,substantially as herein shown and described.

5. In a machine for making tile-ditches, the combination,with theadjustable beams A and the curved guide-platesQR, of the slottedangle-plates S, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby thesaid guide-plates can be adjusted midway between the beams, and will besecurely held in place, as set forth.

6. In a machine for making tile-ditches, the combination,with thecrossbars-B, of the bar V, the slotted standard W, the foot X, thehinged draw-rods Y, and the rope, pulley, and Windlass a Z 12,substantially as herein shown and described,.whereby the machine is keptin an erect position, as set forth.

7 In a machine for making tile-ditches, the combination ,with theadjustable beams A and the side plates, G,'adjustably connected to thebase-plate, of the guide-plates Q R and the angle-irons S T, foradjusting the said guideplates midway between the beams and side plates,substantially as herein shown and described.

8. In a machine for making tile-ditches, the combination, with the beamsA and the bars B V, of the platform U, the standard IV, the

foot X, the brace-rod Y, the cord a, and 0 Windlass b, substantially asherein shown and KERWIN JAMES.

described.

Witnesses:

E, B. SAYLES, W. D. GIFFIN.

